Are you here because you want to lose weight? If the answer is yes, then you are in the right place! As a college student, I gained the feshmen fifteen… THREE times. Since then, I’ve battled to maintain my weight. I can’t even count how many times I’ve gained and lost the same 10 lbs. I call these my vanity pounds at this point in my life because it’s not for health but for my own satisfaction.
I’m far from perfect and on my blog, I continue to review new workout DVD’s, diets and recipes to report back to you what works and what is a waste of time and money. Use this information to jump start your plan, but check back often for motivation, challenges and new ideas to stay on track!
In regards to my own diet plan, I eat a very clean diet. I follow two programs myself and combine the participles of both. I follow the Tone It Up Diet Plan and the Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. The TIU diet plan is more expensive at first but provides you with weekly motivation and workouts. It’s kind of like joining the cool younger sister of a weight watchers program, but only they go out and have drinks and look more like a Victoria Secret model then say Kirstie Alley. Katrina and I used to work together on Diet.com videos, and I could not be more proud of the company she has created. The Eat Clean Diet has a variety of books. I own the Eat Clean Recharged (the 2nd edition) and love it. There is a newer version but I have not seen it yet. The principles I imagine are the same.
Please consult your physician before you begin any new exercise program.
Program #1: I Need To Lose More Than 75 lbs or am a total fitness beginner
Key points: Aim to burn 500-1000 calories each week with exercise. Get at least 60-150 minutes of exercise a week. Remember to warm up about for about 5 minutes and cool down for 5 minutes with stretching.
Cardio: 3 days a week for 20-30 minutes, at a light to moderate intensity (should be equivalent to 3000-3500 steps). Examples; Walk on a treadmill at 3.5 mph, with a 4-6 incline, cycle, Leslie Sansone walking DVD, walk outside to the beat of “Staying Alive.” For more ideas on how to workout in the moderate zone, watch this video.
Strength Program: 2 days a week, an be done on same day as cardio. Should be done before if you are combing them. Do each move 8-10 times, then move on to the next exercise. Once you have done all 8 one time, go back to the beginning and repeat all moves one more time.
- Squat (Missing from video)
- Single Leg Lunge
- Wall Pushup
- Bicep Curl (Missing from video)
- Tricep Extension
- Shoulder Raise
- Standing Crunch
- Deadlift
Additional resources:
Program #2: I Want To Lose 30-75 lbs and Have Been Exercising For at Least 6 Months
This fitness plan is for anyone who has been exercising for at least the past 6 months or has previous experience with weights and getting back into the swing of things. If you have not yet introduced weights into your fitness plan, start here! This is for cardio junkies who want a faster resting metabolism too! Cardio 3-5x a week for 20-40 minutes at a moderate intensity. Moderate intensity can be found by substracting your age from 220, and then multiplying that number by .6 for the low end, and .8 for the high end. Keep it in that range!
- Cardio 1: Jog for 5 minutes, followed by walk for 1 minute, fast run for 1 minute, walk 1 minute, fast run 2 min, walk 1 min, run 3 mins, repeat. Cool down with a nice 5 minute walk.
- Cardio 2: Jog at a steady state for 40 minutes at an intensity you can do without stopping. Not there yet? Try walking at a brisk pace that gets your heart rate into this zone.
- Cardio 3: Set treadmill incline to a 6, and speed to 3.5 mph. Warm up for 5 mins, then up the hill to 10 incline and speed to 4 mph for 1 minute, rest down at 6 incline for 2 minutes, repeat for 10x. Mix it up to beat boredom, rather than 2 minutes at a 6 incline, do one minute at 8, then 6. Try this on a bike or elliptical using the resistance.
Strength Program: Weights 2-3x a week. Do each move 8-12 times, rest for 30 second to 1 minute and repeat. Move on to the next move. Watch the Jump Start Your Weight Loss Workout video here.
- Moves:
- Sumo Squat
- Single Leg Lunge
- Bicep Curl
- Lateral and Front Shoulder Raises
- Overhead Tricep Extension
- Modified Pushup
- Supermans
- Abs – Choose only one move (Bicycles, Crunch, Plank)
Program #3: I Want to Lose 30 lbs or Less
Once you begin to get down to a healthy weight, losing it become much more difficult. If you thought the beginning was hard, wait until you get to the last ten. While not impossible, do note that your goal weight may not be realistic. If possible, find out what your body fat percentage is. Going below 15% is not considered healthy. You want to aim for a maximum of 31% body fat. Most people will still want to lose weight, but these reasons are for vanity and not health. Remember that!
Designed by Revolution Fitness CPT and Body Evolver founder, Mike D’Angelo, this program is a two day split. It’s ideal for someone who has at least 3-4 days to dedicate to strength training. It’s also perfect for cardio junkies looking to lose weight! It is not meant for beginners who do not have experience working in the gym. Here is day 1 of my fat loss routine and below is day 2.
Start with a warm up until you break a sweat, which will be about 5-10 minutes on a cardio machine or dynamic stretching. Do each move for 12-20 reps each, moving from one exercise to the next within each circuit. One you have completed all 4 exercises in circuit 1, repeat the first four exercises 1-2 more times. One you have completed the two-three sets, move on to circuit 2, and then 3.
Circuit 1
- Sky Dives
- Back Extensions
- Overhead Press
- Upright Row
Circuit 2
- Long Handle Shoulder Pull
- Triceps Dips (with exercise ball)
- Triceps Pull down
- Lateral Pull down
Abs
- Assisted V Twist with Medicine Ball
- Oblique Extension
You can watch all the moves above by watching this video or viewing the slideshow here.
